Week 30

From the top-down: 33 weeks pregnant, 32 Weeks pregnant

Shopping
Mike and I finally found the time to visit a few stores to look at nursery furniture and big items we'll need for the baby. We started with cribs which probably wasn't the best idea since they tend to be the most expensive. After checking the price tags on the first few we liked, Mike asked, "What's wrong with just putting a blanket on the floor for the baby to sleep on? Would he really know the difference?" I replied, "That's a great idea, and maybe we could just substitute rocks for toys, too." After doing more browsing through Fayetteville's Tiny Town and Babies R Us, though, we decided we'll probably just start out with a Pack 'n Play, stroller, and car seat in terms of big items. I'll be moving around so much in those first few months between our apartment in Fayetteville, my parents' house, sister's house, and visits to Mike's family that it makes more sense to wait on buying nursery furniture until Mike returns from deployment in early April. The Pack 'n Play comes with an attached bassinet, so the baby will be comfy in it for at least a few months, and my parents have a crib he can use for the spring when he's a little bigger. As far as which brand and style of items to purchase, we still have some research to do, but we're definitely not opposed to buying on eBay to cut down on expenses. I've been getting lots of requests for a registry, so hopefully I'll have it finished and posted within the week.

Dreams
I've been having the most vivid dreams lately, which is common pregnancy because, since I'm waking up every few hours, I tend to stay in the dream cycle and am kept from going into deep sleep. Here's one of my funny baby-related dreams. I'm going into labor and Mike is nowhere to be found. I call him and call him and look for him, but finally my dad has to take me to the hospital. I end up having to have a C-section, and when the doctor hands my baby to me, it's not a baby, but a mini Mike! He hops right up, stands on my shoulder, and tells me we have to get out of the hospital asap because we've got tons of things to do. When I tell him I just had a C-section and that I have to recover, he tells me to stop being a baby and that we need to get out of there so we can be productive. I'm so confused and start worrying about the fact that he's himself in adult form, just miniature, and that since everyone will think he's a baby, he'll have to go through pre-school, k-12, and college all over again and will be so much smarter than all of his peers. He tells me to stop worrying, that he'll just have me home-school him. Then I wake up. So funny, especially if you know Mike (pencil behind his ear, planner always accessible)! I've been having lots of anxiety-related dreams as well. Usually, they have to do with school. In them, I'm always pregnant, but rather than teaching, I'm still a student and am missing assignments or classes that are keeping from graduating college. Weird, huh?

Baby's Development
He now weighs around 3 lbs and has fully formed eyelashes and eyebrows. His brain is beginning to take over temperature regulation, so most of the peach fuzz, or lanugo, that covered his body is dissentigrating. I'm noticing that he hiccups all the time now, especially after I eat. His hiccup sessions usually last around 5 minutes or so. His movements are also getting much stronger, and I can usually tell whether it's his foot that's jabbing me, or if it's his little hand which feels must smaller and has a softer, lighter touch. Mike enjoys putting his head on my belly to feel all the different kinds of movements, and it's fun to watch my tummy move around as the baby changes positions. We also signed up for July childbirth classes, which I'm sure will come with some fun stories!